Button-hook



(No Model.)

J. A. SMITH.

. BUTTON HOOK. No. 311,539. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

lllivrrnn S'rArns Bartram Carina.

JOSEPH A. SMITH, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

BUTTON- -HOQK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,539, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed July .21, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osEPH A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deep River, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button Hooks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in button-hooks, and has for its object to provide such a device which shall be cheap of construction and ready of operation; and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of elements, hereinafter fully explained, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improvement, the hook being extended; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section with the hook shoved in; Fig. 3, a similar View with the hook extended; Fig. 4, an end view, the shank in section; Fig. 5, a cross-section at the line or 00, Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 a detail view of the corrugated tube and spring-arms.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

A is the handle, which is formed of a thin metal tube, one end of which is open, the other being rounded, and having an opening adapted to receive the shank B, which is corrugated, as seen at Fig. 4..

G is a corrugated tube secured within the handle A, and having spring-arms a.

D is a thumb-tube which telescopes with the handle from its open end. The inner end of said tube is curved or flanged at c, and passes over and around the spring-arms a.

Eis a coiled spring, one end of which bears against the shoulder d, formed with the handle, and the other end bears against the thumbtube D, forcing the latter outward, thereby causing the flange c to ride down the springarms a until the catches I) come in contact with the shank, which will prevent any further movement of the thumbtube outward, and at the same time hold the shank as against any movement caused by its gravity. The shank is prevented from turning by its corrugations sliding in the corrugations ofthe tube C. Near the upper end of the shank is formed a groove, 6, the use of which will be presently explained.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: XV hen it is desired to extend the hook F, which is secured in any well-known manner to the shank B, it is only necessary to hold the device in a vertical position, so that the hook will be down and press, with the thumb or finger, on the outer end of the tube Duntil the flange c of said tube has moved sufficiently to allow the spring-arms a to spring away from the shank, when the gravity of the hook and shank will cause them to fall until the end f of the shank, which is a little larger than the body, comes in contact with the catches b, when it is prevented from further movement. N ow, by releasing the pressure on the tube D, which will allow the spring E to throw it outward, the spring-arms a will be forced inward, causing the catches b to enter the groove 0, which will firmly hold said shank when the hook is in position for use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

To close the hook, the device is held so that the hook is at the top when the tube D is pressed in, allowing the catches b to spring out of the groove 0, permitting the shank and hook I do not wish to limit myself to the use of a button-hook in connection with my improvement, as it is equally applicable to knives, tooth-picks, and the like.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. In a button-hook and the like, the outer casing or tube, A, having arranged therein the shank B, in combination with the tube 0, having spring-arms a, at whose end are catches 1), tube D, and spring E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a button-hook, as described, the casing A, in combination with the sliding shank, spring-arms, catches b, and thumb-tube, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a button-hook, as described, the comto fall, as before set forth.

bination of the sliding shank, corrugated, tube In testimony whereof I affix my signature in O, corrugated, catches b, and thumb-tube D, as presence of two witnesses. and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the casing A, shank JOSEPH A. SMITH. 5 13, having corrugations adapted to fit corrugations in the tube 0, tube 0, spring-arms a, Vitnesses: catches b, thumb-tube D, and spring E, all ar- I J AMES W. F. MADIGAN,

ranged to operate as described and shown. H. W. SMITH. 

